


Father's Day

by MyDaydreamWorld



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Absent Parents, Family, Father's Day, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:34:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25164004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyDaydreamWorld/pseuds/MyDaydreamWorld
Kudos: 17





	Father's Day

Ash, Dawn and Brock were all setting up camp at evening. They had been walking all day and they all wanted to stop for the night. They were in a grassy clearing often used by Pokémon trainers. 

Brock was cooking as Ash and Dawn were taking care of all the Pokémon. "Maybe we can stay here tomorrow," suggest Dawn looking around "It's a good space and I like to try out a new routines."

"I want to go into town tomorrow," said Brock at once "Its fathers day tomorrow and I like to phone home. It's been a while since I called..." Brock looked up from the cooking to see Ash and Dawn slightly blank expressions on their faces.

"Oh yeh, I forgot that was soon," said Ash with a small shrug. Ash had never ever mention his father, and all his childhood stories seemed to involve his mother, Gary and Professor Oak. Who Ash's father was - Brock had no idea but situation like Ash's weren't uncommon especially after the Kento War. Many people had only one parent, people like Misty only had her older sisters. Brock knew he was lucky to have both of his parents. "I wanna to check that that poké hero museum you mention anyway..." Added Ash "That sounds pretty cool." 

Dawn looked thoughtful for a moment "I need to go shopping," she said "And we can alway train at the Pokémon centre later..."

"Sounds like a plan," said Ash

Brock had began to put the food into plates and and they sat down. Pikachu had used the opportunity to steal the ketchup bottle and run away prompting Ash too run after his Pokémon. Brock and Dawn watch them amusement as Pikachu refused to let go of the ketchup bottle. In the end Ash gave up sat down "Guess we have to do without ketchup today..."

"That's alright with me," said Dawn. They eat in silent for a while before Dawn spoke up. "What's you father like Brock?"

That question took Brock by surprise. He pauses for a moment before specking - trying to think what to say. "He's hard working, taught me alot." He said "His a family man but also likes he's own space" Brock sat quietly for a moment "He was a leader of a gym so he's strong willed person."

"But when you first meet Ash, weren't you the Gym leader?" Asked Dawn looking between Ash and Brock. Dawn had heard the story how Ash and Brock meet a few times - but she didn't know the whole story. 

"He and mom left for a little bit," said Brock simply. He saw Dawns shocked expression on her face. "It's not that shocking especially in Kento around that time." It sucked but that how things were going. 

"Why did they leave?" Question Dawn

"They had their reasons," said Brock a little defensively - he didn't want to go into the details about why his parents went away. "I mean sometimes I hated it. I mean... I love my brothers and sisters don't get me wrong... but looking after them wasn't my job. And running the Gym is a great experience but wasn't what I wanted to do. But they come back and I ended up yet traveling with Ash and Misty..." Brock was still hurt about what his parents did - and he didn't want his oldest younger brother to go though the same thing he had. 

Brock wanted to ask Dawn and Ash about they fathers but didn't want to upset either of them. Both of them as far as he knew grow up in a single parent family as only children. Both of them were stubborn, independent and competitive...and both of them had never mention their fathers. 

Dawn ended up telling Ash and Brock about her father. "He died when I was very young," explain Dawn "I don't really remember him, but I know he always worn a hat, and had a mysterious smile..."

Ash and Brock shared a look. In Kento you didn't really talk about your absent patents. Death was a tabooed subject - maybe it was a after effect of the war - everyone wanted to forgot what had happen. Even the mention of the war that happen wasn't spoken about at all - not in school, not at home, nowhere. It was like no one wanted to admit it had even happen. 

"Er...What happen?" Asked Ash awkwardly unsure what to say. Brock didn't have much of a idea either. 

"He got a bad case of Poké-Poxs." Said Dawn "I can't really remember but a few other people got it as well." Dawn paused for a moment "I think you two would of liked him, he loved rock climbing and looking for Pokémon that lived in the cliffs..."

"I'm sure we would of," said Brock kindly

"Mom doesn't like talking about him, I think she still misses him a lot." Said Dawn sadly. "What about your dad Ash?"

Ash was silent for a long while, long enough for Brock to think that he wasn't going to answer. When he did speak he sound districted. "I don't know who he is." said Ash finally. 

"Do you know anything about him?" Asked Dawn carefully sensing Ash didn't really want to talk about his father. 

Ash shook his head, "No, not really. Mom never talks about it - but she doesn't talk about her past. She was a teen mom...and...." Ash trailed off. 

Ash's mom was young, and the stigma of bring a teen mom was harsh. Vary hash if you didn't have much support. Brock could almost imagine a pregnant Delia Ash arriving in Pallet Town. If Brock memory serves him right, Ash's great aunt used to live in Pallet Town or something. Brock had to wonder where Ash's grandparents were during all this. And couldn't imagine what Ash's mom felt having to face motherhood alone. 

"Do you want to know who his is?" Question Brock

"No," said Ash at once. That answer surprised Brock and Dawn. Ash was always very curious person. No wanting to know who his biological father was, was out of character for him. 

"Why not?"

"What difference is it going to make?" Asked Ash shrugging his shoulders, he was getting upset and was trying no to show it."Anyway I have my mom, I have a good life..." Ash voice trail off, whether Ash was telling the truth about not wanting to know who his father was or not, not one knew. But no one pressed the subject to much. 

Not that much later they all got into their sleeping bags. 

Not that any of them got much sleep at night. All three of them were thinking about fathers. Brock thinking that even if he didn't have the perfect father - his was there when he needed him and taught him more than he realised. Drawn thought about the stories she heard of her own father - and thought about all the missed adventures - everything that they could of done together. Ash didn't know what he think or feel - he never had a father and he had got on fine without him. Ash didn't even know if his father even knew about him. 

"If you two wanted to stay here tomorrow and train I can go on ahead to the next town alone tomorrow..." Said Brock. He knew his friends were still awake. He didn't want to dragged them to the town just for him.

"It's alright, I want to go shopping anyway..." Said Dawn from her sleeping bag

"Me and the ketchupmon want to check out that museum. Did you know it has a whole room filled with models of legendary Pokémon - we wanna see how many we seen..." Said Ash who had still failed at taking the ketchup away from Pikachu.

They lay in silent for a little longer.

"My dad was a Pokémon trainer you know," said Dawn in the darkness. "He didn't win that many battles. He just like adventure..."

"Most people are Pokémon trainers some point in their lifes," said Brock "My parents meet traveling though some caves when their were both trainers..."

"My mom was never a Pokémon trainer," said Ash "She wanted to be..." 

"What did you do instead?" asked Dawn - Pokémon trainers started young. And normally by people teenage years they even carried on traveling or they knew what job they wanted to do. "Was she working?" It wasn't unheard of instead of being a Pokémon trainer you went straight to work. 

"Apparently mom was involved more in gangs..." said Ash 

Brock sat up quickly "Your mom was in a gang?" Brock couldn't see how someone as kind and good nature at Ash's Mom being in a gang. That didn't make sense him at all. 

"Yeh but that was ages ago, there was a war going on and stuff and she wasn't allowed to go travailing..." Said Ash "Supposed my dad was another gang member or something..."

Coming to think of it - Brock heard stories of the gangs that were formed during the war. And maybe it wasn't that surprising that people like Ash's mom fell in to them "Is that why you don't want to know who he is?" Question Brock. Many people involved in the gangs ended up working for organization like Team Rocket. Something that Ash definitely wouldn't want any links with. It was bad enough knowing Jessie, James and Meowth.

They were all silent again. Brock wonder what it would be like not having his father in his life. Would he be on this path? Probably not. He might not of meet Ash and Misty, wouldn't of gone on the once in a lifetime adventures.

Ash and Dawn were both rises by strong, independent women. Ones that could stand up for themselves, ones that weren't easy scared. That properly why Ash and Dawn themselves were didn't back down easily from challenges

Brock knew that Ash had a lot of respect for Professor Oak and probably saw him as a father figure. Dawn was slightly different she had a father in a life, whether there was another father figure in her life Brock didn't know. Brock was glade having his father in his life - he wasn't perfect but who was. He was looking forward to specking to him father the next day.

Brock knew what they all said about their fathers wasn't something they were going to talk about again. 

One by one the firends fell asleep.


End file.
